Picture-cord take-up



(No Model.)

H. E. BILLINGS.

PIGTURE CORD TAKE-UP.

No. 468,637. Patented Feb. 9, 1892.,

- Jill/enmit- HEBiZZz' ,63 kz's ill 0772a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY E. BILLINGS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

PICTURE-CORD TAKE-UP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,637, dated February9, 1892.

Application filed September 1, 1891. $erial No. 404,424. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY E. BILLINGS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPicture-Cord Take- Ups, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to picture-cord takeups, the object being toprovide a simple, strong, and effective device whereby the height of apicture, mirror, or other article suspended by a cord may bequioklyadjusted without detaching the cord therefrom.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification,Figure 1, is a rear view of a portion of a picture-frame provided withone of my picture-cord take-ups. Fig. 2 is an edge View as seen from theleft hand of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the frame in line a aof Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view of the forward side of the take-up device,as seen from the left hand in Fig. 2.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures.

The improved picture-cord take-up herein described consists of a reelorbobbin mounted on a stud or pivot, which is fixed to the picture-frameand having means for engaging the cord for preventing the turning of thebobbin on its pivot.

The pivot 10 may properly consist of a screw inserted into the frame B,as will be understood from the dotted lines in Fig. 3, and having thehead 10. The reel orbobbin on which the picture-cord 14 is to be woundfor taking up the same consists of the sleeve or thimble 8, fitted torevolve freely on said pivot 10, and provided with means for attachingthereto one end of said picture-cord, and means for engaging said cordat a point beyond the bobbin to prevent the bobbin turning backward. Forthese purposes the bobbin 8 is provided at the outer end thereof withthe disk 2, having therein a hole 12, through which the end of the cord14 is inserted, and formed into a knot 15 in a Well-known manner, and onthe outer edge of the disk 2 the takeup device is provided with one ormore cord-engaging catches. The device shown in the drawings has twosaid catches, designated by 4 and 6, respectively, which constituteforwardly-=pro= jeoting portions of a rim 3, extending around theperiphery of said disk 2, this rim being in practice for the purpose ofstiffening the disk, and thus improving the character of the device.

For turning the reel to wind up the cord thereon, as indicated in thedrawings, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, said disk 2 is or may be provided with theprojecting thumb-pieces or wings 16, whereby the reel may be operatedwith the fingers after the manner of turning a thumbscrew.

The operation of the take-up device will, it is thought, be readilyunderstood from the drawings in connection with the precedingdescription. When it is desired to shorten the cord 14, (which maybe anywell-known form of cord, either of textile material or of Wire or thelike,) and thus elevate the article suspended thereby, the user graspsthe takeup by the thumb-pieces 16 16, and turns the take-up devicetoward the right hand in Fig. 1, at the close of the operation engagingthe cord with one of the aforesaid peripheral catches, as illustrated inFigs. 2, 3, and 4. To lower the suspended article, the operator, seizingthe cord immediately above the take-up device, disengages the same fromthe said peripheral catch and at the same time turns backward the reelto let off therefrom the desired length of cord, whereupon the cordisagain brought into engagement with oneof said catches, thus securelylocking the reel against further backward movement and preventing anyfurth er unwinding of the cord therefrom.

By means of this device any suspended article of the class described maybe readily and quickly adjusted without removing it from itssupporting-hooks and without. detaching the cord from the article orrequiring the use of any tools. The device being of the extremestsimplicity, and consisting of but a single piece besides the necessarysupportingpin or pivot, is adapted to be manufactured very cheaply.

In practice the take-up device may be used on one side of apicture-frame, While an ordinary screw-eye is used on the other side ofthe frame; but in some cases it may be neces sary or desirable to useone of the take-ups on each side of the frame, the opposite ends of thecord being attached to said take-ups, respectively.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The improved take-up reelherein described, consisting in the combination, with a bobbin adaptedto be pivotally supported on a picture-frame, of adisk or plate on oneend of the bobbin and one or more catches, substantially as described,on said plate and projecting laterally therefrom into the normal pathofthe picture-cord beyond the bobbin, substantially as described.

2. In a picture-cord take-up, the combination, with the reel 0r bobbinand with. the attached cord extending therefrom, of a catch on the reeland extending into the path of the cord beyond the reel for locking thereel against rotation by engaging the cord, substantially as described.

HARRY E. BILLINGS.

. \Vitnesses:

HENRY L. RECKARD, I-I. MALLNER.

